 |  | SALES MEETING TOOL KIT: REDUCING STRESS | |
|  Stress Reduction: Introduction Component 1: Facilitator Talking Points Component 2: Agenda Component 3: Activity 1: How Stressed Are You? Quiz Component 4: Activity 1: How Stressed Are You? Quiz Answers Component 5: Handout 1: A Dozen Ways to Reduce Stress Component 6: Activity 2: Exercises to Relieve Stress Component 7: Handout 2: Reduce Your Time-Related Stress Component 8: Activity 3: Identifying Your Stress Producers Component 9: Activity 4: Behaviors to Lower Stress Component 10: Activity 4: Behaviors to Lower Stress, Explanation Sheet | Component 8 Activity 3: Identifying Your Stress Producers Use this sheet to help salespeople analyze some of the situations they may encounter during their real estate activities. Stressful Situations: Prospecting Fear of rejection: Stop listening to that “tape in your head” that tells you the prospect won’t like you and you will not get an appointment. Not everyone will need your services and not everyone will like you. Procrastination: To motivate yourself to prospect, choose a reward for yourself if you successfully make a certain number of new prospecting appointments a week. Stressful Situations: Listing Fear of not being prepared for the listing: Make the preparation a priority. Schedule a two-to-three hour period the day before the presentation to prepare your materials and review your presentation. Listings are major sources of income and should be given ample space in your time management schedule. Fear of failure to get the listing: Work on developing positive statements about your skills and professionalism. “I’m a skilled real estate professional. Any seller would be lucky to have me working to sell their home.” Repeat these positive statements to yourself several times a day, especially when you start to have feelings of doubt. Take a class on improving your listing presentation to gain self-confidence. Stressful Situations: Showing The buyers don’t like any of the homes you show them: Recognize that you’ll never please everyone and that some people have unrealistic expectations. Instead of privately berating yourself (or the sellers), cut the showing session short or suggest a break to let everyone relax. Use the break time to re-interview the sellers about their home needs. The house is a mess when you arrive for the open house: Stress often comes from expectations not meeting realities. Stop and take a few deep breaths to calm down. Then, call for help—see if someone in your office or your family could pitch in for an hour to help clean up. Plan on being at all open houses at least 45 minutes ahead so you’ll have time to straighten up the next time this happens. Stressful Situations: Closing Offer is below what the seller “needs”: Don’t accept someone else’s problems as your own. While you certainly want to do everything necessary to make the sale, don’t feel like you have to make up the difference by cutting your commission and then feeling angry and resentful about it. Buyers have problems obtaining financing: Recognize that you can’t control every situation or solve every problem. Offer to call the lender to determine the cause of the problem and then offer suggestions for financing alternatives. If necessary, suggest a credit counselor Sellers make a very problematic counteroffer: Don’t always feel that you have to prove your point or show that you are right; provide advice to the sellers on how to respond. Don’t be frustrated if they don’t follow it. Stop blaming others if things don’t work out; it makes you feel powerless. Instead look for a way you can solve the problem. The closing slows down because the paperwork isn’t getting done: Don’t let poor time management skills give you an excuse to neglect the details needed to close. Designate a time every day to follow up on transactions. If you can afford it, hire a part-time assistant to do the calling for you. Keep a time log to determine how long each task takes and then allocate time for follow-through. Stressful Situations in General Time is wasted trying to find paperwork: Taking 10 percent of your week to get organized will pay off in greater productivity and less stress during the other 90 percent of the day. Create—or have your assistant create—a comprehensive paper and electronic filing system, then devote 10 minutes at the end of each day to putting paperwork in its proper place. Technology use: Don’t berate yourself because you can just open the box and use the technology. Be patient and take the time to read the instructions. Don’t have unrealistic expectations. Instead sign up for a class or ask a friend for instructions. Component 9: Activity 4: Behaviors to Lower Stress > |